by Jayme Marsh, November 26, 2019

Before coming to Kendall, I was interested in and deeply inspired by bread. It continues to be my main practice and area of study, but I have had the opportunity over the past year to broaden and deepen my interests in baking and pastry.

This past quarter, I took an advanced pastry course in addition to two production classes that focused heavily on traditional pastry techniques that are foundational to the field. I was spending very little time focusing on bread, but I was pleasantly surprised to find how much I enjoyed learning and practicing new skills and techniques. I even had a few opportunities to develop recipes of my own to be served in the dining room and the cafe at Kendall.

As the end of my final quarter before internship at Kendall approached, I began thinking more and more about what my work in the future might look like, and for the first time I felt like I had the curiosity and knowledge to pursue any number of practices in the field of baking and pastry – not just bread! There was a moment during my final practical exam when I realized how competent I felt. I was applying techniques and knowledge I had no experience in prior to my time at Kendall and doing so with ease and confidence.

As I approach my internship next quarter, I am so excited to make new discoveries about this practice and the kind of work I can do with it, bread or not. I feel so appreciative to my instructors at Kendall, my peers, and the folks at Kendall College Trust for the support and resources they have provided me to keep exploring and creating.